This invention relates to a flexible disk drive, in particular, to a front shutter coming off preventing structure for preventing a front shutter rotatably attached to a loading slot of the flexible disk drive from coming off from the flexible disk drive.
As well known, a flexible disk drive (hereinafter simply called FDD) is an apparatus for carrying out data recording and reproducing operations to and from a disk-shaped magnetic recording medium of a flexible disk (hereinafter simply called FD) loaded thereinto. The FDD is widely used for an external memory apparatus of an electronic information apparatus such as a personal computer.
Generally, the FDD of this type provides a front shutter for a loading slot into which the FD is inserted. The front shutter is located at the inside of the loading slot and always pressed by a torsion spring against the loading slot. The front shutter is opened inside against pressing force of the torsion spring by insertion of the FD.
The FDD further comprises an eject button. Because the eject button projects frontward from the FDD, it is easy to receive external force. If a front panel is provided to the FDD, the eject button is possible to withstand the external force by support of the front panel. However, an existing thin type FDD has no front panel and uses a part of a case of personal computer as the front panel. Thus, when the eject button receives external downward force, it directly touches and rotates the front shutter. If larger external force is given to the eject button, the front shutter is bent by the eject button and comes off from a frame of the FDD in a worst case.
As mentioned above, the existing FDD has a fear that the front shutter is detached from the frame by the external force given to the eject button.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a front shutter coming off preventing structure capable of preventing a front shutter from coming off from a frame of an FDD without relatively large-scale structure modification and an increase of parts.
Other object of this invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to an aspect of this invention, a front shutter coming off preventing structure is for preventing a front shutter from coming off from a main frame of an FDD. The front shutter rotatably is attached to the main frame and has an edge providing a notch for an eject button. The front shutter coming off preventing structure comprises a projecting portion formed on the edge and projecting toward the eject button. The projecting portion forces the front shutter to rotate in a closing direction thereof when the eject button is pressed to the projecting portion by external force.